WH Smiths food hygiene rating
Retailers - other · Stafford
WH Smiths holds a 5, the highest food hygiene rating there is. At its last inspection the shop met every standard the inspector checked, with nothing needing attention.
The rating: 5 - Very good
The rating dates from 9 January 2025, 18 months ago. That is getting on for the longest gap councils usually leave, so the score may not reflect how the business is run today.
Address: M6 Southbound Services, Stone, ST15 0XE
How it compares in Stafford
That puts WH Smiths among the 778 places in Stafford holding top marks, 80% of everywhere the council rates. A 5 is the norm here rather than the exception, so it is the rating to expect, not to be impressed by.
| 5 out of 5 | 778 | 80% | ← WH Smiths | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 out of 5 | 139 | 14% | ||
| 3 out of 5 | 38 | 4% | ||
| 2 out of 5 | 14 | 1% | ||
| 1 out of 5 | 7 | 1% | ||
| 0 out of 5 | 0 | 0% |
A further 158 businesses in the area are awaiting inspection or exempt, so are not counted above.
What the inspector found
- Hygienic food handling Very good
- Cleanliness & condition of the building Very good
- How well they manage food safety Very good
An inspection scores three things: how food is handled, the physical condition of the premises, and how much the inspector trusts management to keep standards up. At WH Smiths none of the three raised a concern, the overall rating is only ever as strong as its weakest area, so a clean sweep is what produces a high score.
Food hygiene ratings nearby
The closest food businesses to WH Smiths, nearest first, so you can see how it compares to its neighbours.
| Business | Distance | Rating | Inspected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Coffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 5 - Very good | 5 September 2024 |
| McDonalds Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | at this address | 5 - Very good | 9 April 2026 |
| Restbite Other catering premises | at this address | 5 - Very good | 4 November 2024 |
| Asda Express Stafford South PFS Retailers - supermarkets/hypermarkets | at this address | 5 - Very good | 27 February 2024 |
| Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Service HQ Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.8 miles away | 5 - Very good | 8 October 2025 |
| Costa Coffee Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 9 March 2026 |
| Costa Drive Through Restaurant/Cafe/Canteen | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 9 March 2026 |
| Marks & Spencer Simply Food Retailers - other | 0.9 miles away | 5 - Very good | 18 March 2026 |
Questions about WH Smiths
What is WH Smiths's food hygiene rating?
WH Smiths has a food hygiene rating of 5 out of 5 (very good), given by Stafford Council on 9 January 2025.
Is WH Smiths safe to eat at?
The rating covers hygiene standards found at inspection, not the food itself. At 5 out of 5, the inspector found hygiene standards at this shop to be very good, the top end of the scale.
When was WH Smiths last inspected?
WH Smiths was last inspected on 9 January 2025, 18 months ago. Food hygiene inspections are unannounced, and the rating is published by Stafford Council rather than by the business.
What did the inspector find at WH Smiths?
The inspector scored three areas. Hygienic food handling was rated "very good", the cleanliness and condition of the building "very good", and confidence in the management of food safety "very good". Lower concern in all three is what earns a high overall rating.
How does WH Smiths compare to other places in Stafford?
80% of the 976 rated food businesses in Stafford hold the top rating of 5, and WH Smiths is one of them.
Who decides the rating?
Stafford Council inspects WH Smiths and sets the rating; the Food Standards Agency publishes it. Neither the business nor this site can change a rating, a business that disagrees can appeal to its council, and can request a re-inspection once it has fixed the problems.
Tell me when this changes
The Food Standards Agency publishes only a business's rating today, not what it scored before, and not when it moves. We check every UK rating each night. Watch WH Smiths and we will email you the morning after its rating changes.
Free, for three businesses, forever. No password, we send you a link. How rating alerts work →
Understanding this rating
More food hygiene ratings near here
WH Smiths is one of 185 rated food businesses in Stone. See every hygiene rating in Stone →
Stafford inspects and rates 1,134 food businesses across its whole area. See every food hygiene rating in Stafford →
The official record is held by the council: http://www.staffordbc.gov.uk
Rating from the Food Standards Agency under the Open Government Licence. Ratings reflect standards found at the time of inspection and can change. If you think a rating is wrong, the official record is held by the FSA and the local authority; corrections there flow through here. How ratings work →